Max‘s Director for Local Original Productions in Spain has vowed the move back to the HBO Max moniker “doesn’t change the creative focus.” Instead, he predicted it would amplify the quality on the streamer.
“Many of you are asking what has happened,” Jose Maria Caro said at Conecta Fiction in Spain today about the decision, which was announced in the U.S. last month. “What does it change mean? Well, we cannot lose the value of HBO because it means many things to many people. It contributes a lot of value.”
Warner Bros Discovery announced in May it was moving away from Max and back to the HBO Max moniker that the global streamer had launched with in 2020. The rebrand is taking place this summer, and Caro said the move was a significant one.
“What’s in a name? It really matters to our editorial line,” he said, as he pledged it “doesn’t change the creative focus.”
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Max made its first original series commission in Spain in 2023 with When Nobody Sees Us, a thriller led by two policewomen trying to solve a series of crimes in the Andalusian town of Morón de la Frontera. It launched on March 7, with Maribel Verdu and Mariela Garriga starring.
Caro pointed to the series as an example of the “ambitious” original series he was looking for, along with Furia, a drama currently shooting that stars Candela Peña, Carmen Machi, Cecilia Roth, Nathalie Poza and Pilar Castro as five women facing extreme situations.
Caro took on his post in January after Alberto Carullo, then VP of Productions for Italy and Iberia at Max, left WBD to join Mediaset. Caro had been with Warners since April 2024. He addressed a packed room today during a Spanish commissioners session that also included reps from Atresmedia, Amazon MGM Studios and Movistar Plus+.
Caro was brought into the role as WBD at a point as the streamer plans to ramp up its originals slate in Spain, where the likes of Netflix and Prime Video have also found continued success with original series and films. Today, he touted the value of staying close to subscriber base. “If we are going to represent the audience, local production is very important for us,” said Caro.
Conecta Fiction is taking place in Cuenca, near Madrid, this week.